Fort Lauderdale Arts and Entertainment: Your Bucket List Awaits

There’s no denying Florida ranks high as a vacation hot spot, and Fort Lauderdale is one of the state’s many popular destinations. With an estimate of 250 days of sunshine per year and a long list of activities, it’s no surprise that singles and families alike flock to the area. In fact, the city has top arts and entertainment options for all ages. When it’s time to leave the beach and roam the town, check out these Fort Lauderdale arts and entertainment options.

Fort Lauderdale Arts and Entertainment for Different Ages and Interests

Arts, Nightlife and Entertainment for Adults

Original Fat Cats is a favorite bar that has live music seven nights a week and more than 80 beers. Reviewers love the laid-back feel, local bands, cheap drink specials, and patrons can even bring their dogs. Another popular nightlife spot, Stache serves cocktails, coffee and food mixed with live shows, including burlesque and cabaret, bands, and DJs.

Create a masterpiece while sipping favorite beverages at Painting With a Twist. The studio is located in nearby Davie, Florida, and welcomes guests ages 21 and up to BYOB. They provide the rest of the tools, including canvas, paints and brushes, and entertainment. Children are welcome to participate during daytime hours.

Film and Museums

Moviegoers will want to check out The Classic Gateway Theater, a renovated theater dating to 1951. The theater shows mainstream and indie films, and offers highly rated concessions and comfy seats. This is also an ideal place to take kids or friends, or make it a date and snuggle with someone special.

Browse art, gardens and more at Bonnet House Museum and Gardens, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is located on 35 acres of well-kept gardens and dedicated to mixing creative expression with historic and environmental preservation. Visit the studio to see artwork, then follow murals throughout the main house. Outside find a lily pond, birds, a desert garden, and one of the largest orchid collections in the U.S.

Photo: Cliff

Fort Lauderdale Fun for Families

The Fort Lauderdale arts scene also has several family-friendly options. History and automobile lovers should check out the Antique Car Museum. The attraction features more than 20 antique Packard automobiles – most noted for models from the early to mid 1900s – and special collections and memorabilia. Make sure to browse the gallery dedicated to late President Franklin D. Roosevelt to learn even more.

Surrounded by palm trees, Broward Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 700 performances annually and entertains more than 600,000 people a year. Shows include Broadway, opera, ballet, concerts, lectures and more. The center also offers one of the largest arts-education programs in the U.S., welcoming 150,000-plus students a year. Guests of all ages can also take dance, singing and acting classes.

The Museum of Discovery and Science welcomes all ages to explore two floors of exhibits. Spend a day at the museum, and see the eco-discovery center — the largest exhibit of living Atlantic coral reef in captivity — live animals and more. Don’t leave without catching a movie at the top-rated IMAX theater, a favorite for all visitors. Discover more Fort Lauderdale attractions for families.